Miner s safety-lam p



(No Model.)

J. B. HARRIS, J. T. GRIFFITH & T. B. HARRIS.

MINE RS SAFETY LAMP.

No. 469,918. Patented Mar. 1, 18.92.

ma NORRIS PETERS cm, mom-mum. WASH UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

I JOI'IN BOIVEN HARRIS, JOHN THOMAS GRIFFITH, AND THOMAS BENJAMIN HARRIS, OF WILKES-BARRFJ, PENNSYLVANIA.

-MIN ERS SAFETY-LAM P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Fatent No. 469,918, dated March 1, 1892.

Application filed March 16, 1891.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JOHN BOWEN HARRIS,

JOHN THoMAs GRIFFIT and THoMAs BEN- in Miners Safety-Lamps; and we do hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our present invention relates to miners safety-lamps of the character illustrated in our patent, No. 444,435, dated January 13, 1891, and is designed as an improvement upon theinvention illustrated in said patent.

The primary object of the invention is to provide efficient safety devices for lighting and relighting miners lamps of the charac ter referred to, so that it may not be necessary for the miner to leave the mine when he desires to light or relight his lamp, these results being accomplished with perfect safety by the means hereinafter described.

With these objects in view our invention consists in the improvements hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims at the end of this description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a vertical sectional View of the oil-reservoir or base of a lamp embodying our improvements. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the fulminate container or casing which incloses the fulminate-carrier. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the oil-reservoir, showing a modification of the safety lighting devices. Fig. 5 is a bottom plan of the same. Fig. 6' is a side elevation of the supporting-frame of the fulminatescarrier removed from the in closing casing shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a detail representing a modification of the upper portion of the inclosing casing shown in Fig. 4.

Referring particularly to the drawings, in which like letters of reference are used to designate like parts, the letter A represents an oil-reservoir of the usual or any desired construction, which constitutes the base of a Serial No. 386,318.' (No model.)

' lamp and is adapted to be screwed o wise removably secured to the lower of a lamp, preferably of the construc trated in our aforesaid patent. T voir may be provided with the use, tube and wick raising devices, as Sir-3", n, and in proximity to the wick-tube A is arranged the open-ended tube orcasing B, within @which is arranged the traveling fulminatecarrier, which may consist of a flat elongated plate R, having a screw-threaded opening therein at one side of the portion upon which the fulminates are adapted to rest, through which opening passes the screw threaded rod P, which is suitably swiveled at its lower end in-a cap-plate a, which latter rests upon the end of the not or screw-threaded ring '1, which is detachably secured to the bottom of the oil-reservoir by screwing the same into the depending screw-threaded ring or circular flange U, said cap-plate serving also as a cover for the lower end of the tube B, so

that when the ring T is screwed to position with the fulminate-carrier and supporting rod in place within the inclosingl-casing or tube the opening in the'lower end of' said casing will be closed, thereby cutting off all communication With the atmosphere from the lower end of the casing, and thus preventing the admission of air and gases through the same, the carrier for-the inflammable substances being thus completely housed within the containing tube or casing. The tube or casing B is preferably formed with a lateral extension or bulged portion 0 at one side thereof, which provides an interior recess or niche to receive the rod P, which latter is provided at its lower end with a thumb nut oi handle 6, by which it may be rotated so as to cause the fulminate-carrier R to move up or down for the purpose of bringing a pellet or the end of amatch stub into position to be operated upon by the igniting device 0, for the purpose of lighting the lamp, the formation of the tube or casing being such that a number of match-stubs, as shown in Fig. 3, or other suitable inflammable substances may be-placed therein at one side of the rod P and supported upon the carrier, one above another, so as to be brought successivelyinto lOO position to light the lamp. These simplecontrivances aiford a ready means for supplying a miners lamp with a number of fulminating-pellets, which may consist of any suitable inflammable substancefor instance, short stubs of matchesor the like-which may be the bent rod 0 or any suitable igniting device, for the purpose of lighting or relighting a lamp by manipulating the igniting device fromthe outside: thereof, withoutdanger-of explosionor the necessity for leaving the mine 'for'the purpose of lighting the lamp in or-' der to avoid explosions. t u u 'Tlo' prevent accidental displacement of the removable cap-plate a, which forms a closeiitiing cover for the lower endof the casing 'rew S may beused to loclrthe supleap-plate. modification shown in Figs-4 to 7 of a tape KG, having pellets placed at suitable distances apart throughout its length, these pellets being adapted to be moved successively into position to be ignited by contact with theigni ting device 0, securedtothe top I of the inclosi-ng-casing ortube B. This 'fulminate-carrier or tape is prefcrablysupported upon a removable frame 13 which carries a roller 0 atits upper end andatape reel or spindleGatits lower end,aboutwhich thetape is wound as the-pellets are brought successively into engagement withthe ignitingdevice, the reel G being prevented from moving backward by means-of apawl F, which engages a toothed wheel or ratchet ill fixed upon the reel or spindle G. The shaft or spindle Gris provided with a hand wheelg, by

whiohit may be rotated, so that whenwthe free end-of the tape G upon the roll D is passed from said roll over the roller 0 and thence to i said shaft or spindle, to which it is secured,

the revolutions of the shaft will cause the. pellets upon the tape to be brought successively into engagement with the ignitingdevice O for the purpose of lighting the lamp after it has been extinguished. The detachable frame B is housed within the casing B the same as theadjustingscrew and-iniminateearrier P R in Figs. 1 and 3, and thedepending exteriorly-screw-threaded ring or eircular flange U is provided with a removable cap-plate or cover U which forms a closefitting cover for the lower end of the casing 13' and prevents theentrance of airand gases fromtheoutside of the lamp, while allowing theigniting devices to be manipulated from the outside, thesame as described with .reference to theconstruction shown in Fig.1. A locking device is also provided, so as to re- 1 g in position wheuscrewedsnugly ally required.

ings the fnlminate-carrier consists of naledin the enlarged depending screwcapigniting devices from theoutside of the lamp for the purposeof igniting matches or other inflammable substances in the form of pellets upon a tape arranged to travel in proximity to the wick-tube; but in previous construe tions the devices have usually been so con-, I structed asto render them expensive in manufacture and more or less unreliable in use.

I I The principal object of our invention is to providedevicesof this character which may I I I "be safe andreliable in use and which may also be manufactured at a small cost,so,as;to

place the same within reachof men .of Elimited means, by whom suehlamps are gener- Having thus described our invention, wlhat we claim as new, and'desire to secure by Let- I ters Patent, is ,1. A safety-lamp comprising an oil reservoir and wick-tube, a fiulrninate-containing tube extendinthrough the oil-reservoir ,in proximity to I ininate carrier iuclosed within said containing-tube, means .for operating the carrier from the outsideof the lamp, and an igniting deivice, said fulminateicontaining tube "being I open 'at'both endszand: provided at its lower end with a removable cap -plate vor cover,

e wick-tube, a traveling inlwherebysaid carrier and inflammable csubstances supported thereon are adapted to be withdrawn at the base of. the lamp from the lower end of the containing-tube, substantially as described. 7

2. In a safetydamp, the combination, with the oil-reservoir and the wick-tube, of .thezfulminate-containing tube arrangedin proximity to said wick-tube andopen at both ends, thetraveling fulminate-carrier 'removably housed within said tube,meansfor actuating the carrier from the outside .of the lamp, so as to cause a series of pellets to be brought successively into position to be ignited, anignitingdevice located in proximity to the up- "per end of the fulminatecontainingtube and adapted to beoperated from the outside of the lamp, and a detachable cover foriclosing the lower end of said containing-tube,whereby the fulminates are housed within the containing-tube and adapted to bewithdrawn therefrom at the lowerend thereof, substantially asdescr-ibed.

3. In a safety-lamp, the combination, Iwith the usual oil-reservoir and wick-tube, .of a safety lightingdevicecomprisinga tube open at both ends, extendingthrough the oil-reservoir and having its upper end locatediin proximity to said wick-tube, open at bothends, a traveling fulminate-oarrier inclosed in said open-ended tube, a series of inflammable substances supported upon said carrier, means for actuating the carrier from the outside of the lamp, an igniting device extending through the oil-reservoir, a removable capplate for closing the lower end of the openended tube, and. means for locking said capplateto its seat, substantially as described.

4. In combination with the oil-reservoir and Wick-tube, a safety lighting device comprising a tube or casing extending through the oil-reservoir, open at both ends, and provided with a lateral extension or offset to receive an adjusting device, a screw-threaded adj ustingrod located in said recess and swiveled at its lower end, a traveling fulminate-carrier consisting of an elongated plate having a screwthreaded opening therein fitted on said rod, a cap-platesupporting said screw-threaded rod and serving as a cover for the lower end of said casing, a thumb-nut or handle secured I JOHN BOWEN HARRIS. JOHN THOMAS GRIFFITH. THOMAS BENJAMIN HARRIS.

Witnesses:

WV. S. PARSONS, G. M. REYNOLDS. 

